This invention relates to a miniature portable clothes and hair dryer which is collapsible and convenient for travel. Clothes and hair dryers as household appliances are well known in the art.
The conventional clothes dryer is a relatively large machine with a rotating drum driven by an electric motor. The rotating drum provides a tumbling action for the clothes being dried. This device also feature an electrical heat source which produces hot air that passes over the clothes as the drum rotates. The conventional dryer is designed to dry several pounds of clothes at a time and is usually permanently installed in the building and requires a large amount of electricity to operate.
Portable clothes dryers on the other hand have been developed to facilitate drying of small quantities of clothes, especially for traveling persons, however, most of the designs investigated prove to be bulky for transporting and inefficient in drying clothes. Hair dryers are usually a separate device.
One type, U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,836 features an 18 inch floor fan with racks on which the clothes are placed. Clothes drying is primarily dependent on the turbulent air flow from the fan blades.
Two other designs, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,388,344 and 5,992,037 feature a rotating drum similar to the conventional clothes dryer but uses a conventional hand held hair dryer as the source of heat. These designs, though practical, prove to be bulky and awkwardly shaped for transportation and do not make provision for various types of electrical supplies.
An intention of the present invention is to provide a miniature, portable clothes and hair dryer which is capable of drying relatively small loads of clothes (several pieces of garments) in a timely and efficient manner, operating on electrical power of either 110 V or 220 V at either 50 or 60 Hertz. It is also an intention of the present invention to provide a device which is collapsible to the size of a standard suitcase and can be used to transport pieces of clothing during travel. By simply attaching a head piece, the dryer can be used as a hair dryer either separately or simultaneously with clothes drying.
The dryer comprises of a heater 21 with two elements with each having a wattage equivalent to a standard hair dryer, a collapsible rotating drum 06 with a drive motor, a timer switch 25, a lid 15 similar to that of a standard clothes dryer, a rear panel 02 with an exhaust compartment and nozzle 12, hair drying apparatus including a filter 27 and a headpiece with hose 28, an outer heat proof fabric case, and a carrying case similar to a standard suitcase 25.
Another objective of this invention is to provide a portable, yet durable and reliable hair/clothes dryer which may be easily manufactured and marketed.
It is expected that this portable dryer will be utilized on vacation and camping trips as well as general domestic usage, provided electricity is available. The dryer will be equipped with appropriate circuitry and adaptors to facilitate connection to either 110 or 220 Volts, 50/60 Hertz power supply since these are the most prominent types of voltages available across the world.
The carrying case will be equipped with appropriate packaging materials 24 to avoid damage during travel.